Thread: Tom Cat

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OK… I give up. Need to move forward with or without my earlier pics. Will endeavour over time to replace them.

The paint has become a real pain in the a!@# so the way forward for me is to fully assemble the Rudder and use it as a paint experiment piece. So what to do?....attach the top Rudder Pintle and attach the Rudder Side Plates but first the Side Plate attachment methodology. Considering I wanted to ensure the Pintle was easy to get at without destroying the Rudder if something went amiss with it, the Side Plates needed to be removable. To that end I decided the Gougeon approach was the best way forward.

Without going into a huge dissertation on the subject I must refer you to Gougeon’s reference to the subject matter – ‘Bonding Fasteners and Hardware’ – in their excellent book “The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction” (can I do this?). Machine screws into threaded epoxy. Anyway, nothing ventured, nothing gained. See the pics.

Step 1 Prep the CB by drilling oversize holes 3mm bigger then screw thread all round
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Step 2 Drill Side Plate to receive timber plugs
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Step 3 Fill CB holes with straight epoxy, clamp Side Plates to CB and insert screws thru Side Plates into wet epoxy in CB. Note the internal faces are taped to exclude epoxying together
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Step 4 Unscrew the Side Plate and inspect - for me the epoxy was below the level of the CB so attached screws and topped up
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Step 5 Remove screws and sand smooth (don't have a pic of the finished threaded hole!)
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I had sprayed the screws with WD40 prior to glue up so they would be easier to remove. Still not sure this was a good idea as the epoxy has not fully hardened gone off yet and it's been 24 hours.

I use automotive wax to coat the screws, but I know a few that have used WD-40. I've been using this machine screw trick for years and it works well. I take an extra step, drilling to over size hole and letting this cure (after filling). Then I drill for the size of the threads and bond the fastener in the epoxy lined hole. I find I can be more precise about the fastener placement if drilling dry goo, then inserting into wet.

Did you try the "waybackmachine"?

While all the mucking around with the Rudder continues I thought I would take the opportunity to begin the process of oiling my Floor Boards. I’m following PAR’s recommendation of multiple coats over multiple days – refer Post #155. I’m using the following…

• Organoil Pressed Tung Oil 100% Pure - 50%
• Diggers Pure Gum Turpentine - 50%
• Feast Watson Paint & Varnish Dryer is not added until I’ve put on 8 - 10 coats. This is mixed with the other two in the last coat at the end of this week @ a ratio 1:16 - what’s that? about 63mls/L

He’s right about one thing it’s tedious and above all messy! I’m using a brush to apply which gives a good even coat, leave for a while then I’m towelling off with paper towels. They become soaked quite quickly so I use about 6 per coat then take them outside for a mini bonfire and burn them so I don’t need to worry about spontaneous combustion in the waste bin! Cloth towelling is an issue with cleaning or disposal in my book.

Can't really appreciate the finish in the pics - must be the flash. I'll take some without it when complete.

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PAR...as always thanks for the comments. If the screws don't end up seating themselves to the bottom I can come back and use your very useful advice to make that happen.

Rich & warm and not slippery when wet... looking very nice Laurie! I was just working out how to bend in the sole margins anticipating putting nice, flat floorboards in... a lot of fussy fitting I expect but a gratifying step I'm sure.

So they’re all done. Last coat went on and was left for about a week. The last coat of oil with dryer has all firmed up and I can pick them up, move them around without getting oil on my hands. Great result so we’ll see how we go going forward from here with them. I was going to attach all the remaining hardware etc and install in the boat but decided not until she’s on the trailer (sometime in the future). I have also replaced all the SS screws with SB screws so at least that is also another finished job.

The underside of the Fwd most Floor Board
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A closer look showing the SB screws that have replaced the SS ones
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The finished job - doesn't look too bad - does it?
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Work has continued with the attachment of the Rudder Cheeks with more SB screws and the remaining cavities plugged. As ever I attempted to insert the plugs with varnish as the adherence mechanism but I think due to the use of the WD40 on the screws some of them didn’t work all that well and in the end used some cheap 1:1 epoxy that I found in the Reject Shop. It should do the trick anyway.
In the end it all went together pretty good and with a good sand back to undercoat and in some places primer coat I redid the undercoat and am now waiting for good weather (storms here the last couple of days) to have another go at the Toplac. Speaking of which I have discovered that the longer you leave the Toplac the better it gets - so it seems. Time will tell yet again!


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I have added two coats of Toplac to the Rudder so now I sit and wait and see what happens over time prior to getting back to the hull paint.

In the meantime and much money later (AUD600!!!!! ) I had my Traveller fabricated. I provided a template in ply of the Rear Deck curvature athwartships, 2 x Deck Plates, 2 x Cup Washers and 2 x Flat Washers and Nuts and requested it be fabricated from ½” rod - everything in bronze. I supplied everything except the rod.

What can I say! If only I’d known I may have done something else or had it fabricated in brass. Even now the pics below show that I still have to polish it up from scratch. I'll make sure its worth it!

As received
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The polishing begins with 180G paper and then 320G - a longgg way to go!
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Just thought I 'd show off my Forestay Fitting that I have installed.
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The hardware matches the quality of the build in my book Laurie...

Originally Posted by gregleetaylor

The hardware matches the quality of the build in my book Laurie...

The quality of this build matches (or exceeds) that found in any book . . .

After much sanding and buffing I think I have the Traveller in an acceptable condition. The supporting area has been made ready for installation and I have screwed the Deck Plates on and inserted the assembly into the Deck and thru the Quarter Knees. The Deck Plates will be permanently affixed together with the threaded portion having nut and washer fastened from underneath on completion of the Deck having its finish applied – I didn’t want this sucker coming unstuck at an inopportune moment!


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Laurie, Terrific! Did Classic Marine make the traveller? Is that a bushing or cup washer under the deck plate? The traveller on my 18" catboat is not that strong!! Nice craftsmanship on the camber, bends and block stops too. Nice finish on the traveller now. It is 1/2" with is the threaded portion 3/8"?

With summer here I have very few hours against my build theses days but looking forward to getting back in the shop.

Best to you Laurie,

Greg

Hi Greg...the traveller was manufactured by a local metal fabrication shop - I provided a drawing, a plywood template of the deck camber and the Deck Plates which were procured from a distributor of Davey & Co fittings here. The Deck Plate is a one piece forging and I cut the bottom off it to enable the threaded portion of the Traveller to go thru it. The Traveller itself is manufactured from 12.7mm rod with an M12 thread.

I don't think I've seen a picture of your Traveller so will keep my eye out.
Rgds
Laurie

Truly lovely stuff.